The present invention relates to a bag for feeding water to animals in research laboratories. In controlled scientific experiments using small animals such as rodents, research laboratories have many thousands of cages in which the animals are housed. Essential in the care of such animals is the availability of water at all times. Any harmful bacteria either in the water or at the feeding mechanism could induce sickness in the rodent which, during a research experiment, could invalidate the experiment. In the prior art, to achieve sterility, the presently used water bottles and feeding tubes are sanitized and refilled two or three times weekly. This involves removing the bottles from the cage rooms, sanitizing the bottles and component parts filling the bottles with water and transporting them back to the cage rooms.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a disposable plastic bag for feeding water upon demand to laboratory animals which will eliminate the costly, time consuming sanitizing procedures now employed and thereby simplify the water feeding.
Another object of this invention is to maintain a constant sterility in the water feeding of laboratory animals.
A further object is to arrange the demand feeding valve on the bag so that when it is located in the holder designed for it, the valve may be positioned to extend into either the top or the side of the animal cage.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a demand feeding valve with means for piercing the bag so as to maintain the sterile condition of its contents until use.
Yet another ojbect of this invention is to provide a holder for the plastic bag which will protect it from the claws of the animals feeding from it.